According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are almost 300,000 financial and investment analysts working throughout the country. They work for banks, insurance companies, and many other types of businesses.
By becoming a financial analyst, you can put yourself in a position to make six figures each year. You can also always find financial analyst jobs, which means you shouldn’t ever be out of work.
Want to learn how to become a financial analyst? Here are the steps you’ll need to take to do it before finding a job in the financial field.
Secure a College Degree
To work as a financial analyst, you’re going to need to try to obtain a college degree. Some financial analysts are able to break into the financial industry without a degree, but you’re going to put yourself at a disadvantage if you decide to do this.
Instead, you should get a bachelor’s degree in a field like accounting, business, or finance. While in school, you’ll be able to learn about things like financial modeling best practices so that you know what you’re doing once you work in the financial industry.
Obtain the Necessary Certifications
In addition to getting a bachelor’s degree, you’ll also need to work on getting your hands on certain certifications to work as a financial analyst. For example, you’ll want to try to obtain the CFA designation by taking the CFA Program.
There are also other certifications you can get by taking exams. These exams include the Series 7 exam, the Series 63 exam, and the Securities Industry Essentials exam.
Hunt for Financial Analyst Jobs
Once you’ve figured out how to become a financial analyst, it’ll be time to start choosing a career within this field. There are so many career paths that you can take while working as a financial analyst.
For instance, you can work side-by-side with a hedge fund manager and oversee the work they do. You can also work for an insurance company and assist businesses that are trying to sign up for policies and make sound investments.
The possibilities will be virtually limitless when you’re searching for financial analyst careers. You’ll also have the opportunity to switch things up at any point by leaving one financial analyst job to take another that caters to a completely different crowd.
You’ll appreciate the freedom that comes along with working as a financial analyst after becoming one.
Now That You Know How to Become a Financial Analyst…
Becoming a financial analyst can be challenging. But at the end of the day, the rewards that you’ll get after you figure out how to become a financial analyst will be well worth it.
You’ll love spending your days playing around with numbers and trying to decipher what they mean. You’ll also love the fact that you’ll get paid a pretty penny to work in a career you enjoy.
Read more articles related to finance by poking around on the rest of our blog.
